Consortium Building For PEM MFC Using Synthetic Media As Substrate

Microbial production of electricity is an important form of bioenergy since Microbial Fuel cells (MFC) offer the possibility of extracting electric current from a wide range of organic wastes and renewable biomass. Factors affecting the MFC operational effectiveness are the MFC design and the bacterial metabolism and electron transfer. The purpose of this study is to identify species which are responsible for electricity generation so as to build a suitable consortium and to investigate the relative efficiencies between the microbial consortiums. Enrichment by repeated transfer of a bacterial consortium harvested from the anode compartment of a MFC with synthetic media as a substrate increased the output from an initial level of 34 mA to a maximal level of 363 mA. Scanning electron microscope image indicated the enhanced microbial biofilm deposition over the electrode which were not initially detected in the community

Studies on N-P-K ratios in soil and overlying water in some culture ponds in relation to plankton biomass.

The success or failure of any culture operation is dependant on the water quality and the condition of the bottom sediments. The nature and composition of bottom sediments have several vital roles to play in the productivity of culture ponds. The sediments store the nutrients and effectively control the mineralization of organic deposits at the bottom. They are the source of various organic and inorganic compounds which enter the water after biochemical and chemical changes in situ. The bottom soils provide food and shelter for the bottom dwelling organisms and also act as a bed for the growth of algal flora, which forms the food for many species of fish. Also, they form a substratum for bottom fauna that often constitute an important source of food. The sediments thus play several important and dynamic roles, in the food chain and in the production cycle in the pond eco-system

Biology and management of \u3ci\u3ePlodia interpunctella\u3c/i\u3e (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in stored products

Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), the Indian meal moth, is a world-wide insect pest of stored-products and processed food commodities. It can infest a variety of products and is perhaps the most economically important insect pest of processed food. In this review, we summarize the biology of P. interpunctella, discuss oviposition and development in relation to temperature, environment and food source, examine studies involving sampling and detection, describe various aspects of integrated control, summarize the current knowledge regarding management of P. interpunctella, and address potential areas for new research. The use of reduced-risk insecticides, non-chemical control, targeted pest management through spatial analysis and other means of identifying specific locations of infestations, and computer models that simulate population growth, are examples of some of those new areas of research

Biology and management of \u3ci\u3ePlodia interpunctella\u3c/i\u3e (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in stored products

Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), the Indian meal moth, is a world-wide insect pest of stored-products and processed food commodities. It can infest a variety of products and is perhaps the most economically important insect pest of processed food. In this review, we summarize the biology of P. interpunctella, discuss oviposition and development in relation to temperature, environment and food source, examine studies involving sampling and detection, describe various aspects of integrated control, summarize the current knowledge regarding management of P. interpunctella, and address potential areas for new research. The use of reduced-risk insecticides, non-chemical control, targeted pest management through spatial analysis and other means of identifying specific locations of infestations, and computer models that simulate population growth, are examples of some of those new areas of research

IMPACT OF THREE DIFFERENT MATCHING METHODS ON PATIENT SET-UP ERROR IN X-RAY VOLUMETRIC IMAGING FOR HEAD AND NECK CANCER

Impact of three different matching methods for delivery of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) in Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) on patient set-up error. As per institutional imaging protocol, 300 CBCT scans of 20 VMAT head and neck cancer patients treated with 60 Gy/30 fractions were chosen for the present study. Approved CT images of the plan were registered as a reference with the CBCT images on board. Grey-scale matching (GM), manual matching (MM), and bone matching (BM) between on-board CBCT and reference CT images were used to assess patient translation errors. Patient positioning verification was evaluated using the Clip-box registration in all three matching methods. Using the GM approach as a reference point, two additional matchings were rendered in offline mode using BM and MM. For analysis, random error (σ), systematic error (∑), maximum error (E) mean set-up error (M), mean displacement vector (R), matching time (Mt), and multiple comparisons using Post hoc Tukey's HSD test were performed. In MM, less random and systematic errors were found than in GM and BM with an insignificant difference (p > 0.05) Compared to BM and GM, the maximum error, mean set-up error, and displacement vector were marginally less in MM (p > 0.05). In MM, an increased Mt relative to BM and GM was observed (p > 0.05). Furthermore, an insignificant difference in set-up error was revealed in a multiple comparison test (p > 0.05). Any of the three matching methods can be used during CBCT to check patient translation errors for the delivery of the VMAT head and neck patients

A Critical Evaluation of the Significance of Round Numbers in European Equity Markets in Light of the Predictions from Benford’s Law

In this study, we test the hypothesis that psychological barriers exist in 5 European Equity Market indices [ATX, CAC, DAX, FTSE, SMI]. We employ both a traditional methodology that assumes a uniform distribution of M-Values and a modified approach that accounts for the fact that the digits of stock prices may be distributed in accordance with Benford’s law. In addition, we test the validity of the various assumptions employed in these tests using a Monte Carlo Simulation and Kuiper’s Modified Kolmogorov-Smirnov Goodness of Fit Test. We find evidence for barriers in 1 index [SMI] at the 1000 level under the assumption of uniformity but no significant evidence of barriers at the 100 level or at the 1000 level in the remaining indices. We also find evidence that substantiates the criticism of the use of the uniformity assumption for tests at the 1000 level in favour of a distribution consistent with Benford’s Law. However, we do not reach a different conclusion on the presence of psychological barriers when tests are performed without the implicit use of that uniformity assumption. In addition, we find possible evidence of price clustering around round numbers at the 1000 level in 2 indices [CAC, DAX] even after adjusting for the expected concentration within the region due to Benford-specific effects

Traffic Clearance for Ambulance during Pandemic Situation and Road Accidents using LoRaWAN Network

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) plays an important role in handling pandemic situation and disaster management. Due to rapid urbanization, there is a requirement for implementing an effective traffic control system not only to avoid heavy congestion but also to make a better solution for ambulance clearance which would help to save the human life. The proposed work intends to implement an effective traffic control system using Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) that provides seamless traffic clearance for ambulances, so that they reach the hospitals without any delay. Cupcarbon, a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) simulator, is used to evaluate the performance of the proposed work. The simulation involves a case study considering an accident zone in Coimbatore city and the performance of the proposed system is compared with that of existing systems. The simulation results prove that LoRaWAN can be used to effectively control the traffic lights with a wider coverage range, as compared to existing systems

A Critical Evaluation of the Significance of Round Numbers in European Equity Markets in Light of the Predictions from Benford’s Law

In this study, we test the hypothesis that psychological barriers exist in 5 European Equity Market indices [ATX, CAC, DAX, FTSE, SMI]. We employ both a traditional methodology that assumes a uniform distribution of M-Values and a modified approach that accounts for the fact that the digits of stock prices may be distributed in accordance with Benford’s law. In addition, we test the validity of the various assumptions employed in these tests using a Monte Carlo Simulation and Kuiper’s Modified Kolmogorov-Smirnov Goodness of Fit Test. We find evidence for barriers in 1 index [SMI] at the 1000 level under the assumption of uniformity but no significant evidence of barriers at the 100 level or at the 1000 level in the remaining indices. We also find evidence that substantiates the criticism of the use of the uniformity assumption for tests at the 1000 level in favour of a distribution consistent with Benford’s Law. However, we do not reach a different conclusion on the presence of psychological barriers when tests are performed without the implicit use of that uniformity assumption. In addition, we find possible evidence of price clustering around round numbers at the 1000 level in 2 indices [CAC, DAX] even after adjusting for the expected concentration within the region due to Benford-specific effects